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An afternoon walk almost turned to tragedy on Thursday when a rider fell from his horse, causing the animal to slip into the Rhône.

The incident occurred at 4pm on Thursday, when the rider lost his balance during a riverside excursion in Naters, in the canton of Valais. His horse then slipped on the icy path, falling into the water.

Luckily, emergency services were able to save the horse from drowning with mountain rescue service Air Zermatt using a helicopter to lift the frightened animal to safety, with assistance from firefighters.

The horse is carried to safety. Photo: Police cantonale du Valais

Neither the rider nor horse were injured.

The police posted pictures of the rescue on their Facebook page, describing the accident as "a story which ends well". Many Facebook users congratulated the rescuers on their swift intervention, with user Patricia Isenring commenting "thank you for being present in our lives".